


Stay

by breathe_out



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Depression, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, POV Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), POV Cecil Palmer, Post-Episode: e067 best of, Pre-Episode: e070B Review, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28807899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathe_out/pseuds/breathe_out
Summary: Carlos returns to Night Vale, but Cecil has changed in his absence. The past year has been incredibly difficult for Cecil. He feels disconnected from his once-beloved town, but conflicted about leaving. In the midst of his uncertainty and depression, he sees only one, permanent way out.Carlos tries to pick up the pieces of his lover and their relationship.
Relationships: Carlos/Cecil Palmer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	Stay

Carlos returned to Night Vale with newfound hope blossoming inside his chest. He was finally coming home, and he had a list of wrongs to right. But first, he had to see Cecil. He had been away from his beloved for far too long. 

The familiarity of Night Vale was comforting. He had missed the town more than he could ever imagine. 

The sun was setting over the horizon, painting the sky in gorgeous colors. Stars twinkled far above as the night gradually came to life. He could hear mysterious howls emanating from beyond the dog park. The sound used to cause a shiver to run across his spine, but it merely brought a sense of relief to him now. The town was physically alive and well connected with his memories. 

Then – he instantly noticed that something was wrong. He could feel it in the air. It was pleasantly cool but taught with the emotion of the townsfolk. He breathed in deeply to calm himself. The tension and raw feeling that had settled into the atmosphere was deeply rooted. It felt as if a live wire was channeling electricity into the air. Night Vale often reflected the wellbeing of its citizens, but Carlos had never sensed such a vehement response. 

The few people that he passed by on the sidewalk looked at him with sympathy. Some even stopped walking to openly stare at him. Carlos grew increasingly self-conscious and anxious as his pace picked up. Soon, he was all but sprinting down the street, unsure of his direction or destination. He stumbled upon a large, opulent building that stood tall in the distance. He could not recall such a place existing before his leave. 

The entire structure was smoking in the aftermath of a fire. People were filing out of the entrance in doves, chatting excitedly to one another. In the middle of the crowd, Carlos spotted Dana Cardinal. Her curly hair was singed at the edges and she had soot smeared across her dark skin, but otherwise appeared completely fine. 

“Dana!” 

She looked up at him and did not smile. Her face morphed into something like pain. Dana whispered to a tall woman beside her, who nodded and hurried away. She grimaced as he came closer. Carlos felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.

“Carlos, you’re back.” 

Carlos tried to smile, but it was forced and awkward. “Yea, it’s good to see you. What is going on?” he gestured to the smoking building, which looked to be an opera house. “Where’s Cecil?” 

Dana stiffened at the question, then sighed. “Carlos, I think you should sit down before you hear this.” 

The world seemed to be sliding sideways. The smoke was making his eyes water. “No,” he said, voice strained with emotion. “Where is Cecil?” 

She met his wandering gaze, silently pleading to Carlos to give her a moment to collect herself. She had just been attacked, after all, and Carlos’s sudden arrival had not improved her night. In actuality, Dana was struggling to tell him the truth. She felt like she had just swallowed glass. The words that she needed to speak were lodged tightly in her throat. Her heart was heavy with grief, as well as rage. Although the man in front of her was not completely to blame, his absence might as well have sealed Cecil’s fate in her mind.

Dana told him, and Carlos felt like he had just been punched in the stomach.

“Cecil did _what?_ ”


End file.
